Thomas Hawk

Thomas Hawk

102,672

Photos

August 2004

Member Since

Sometimes I like to think of myself as a photography factory. I see my photographs mostly as raw material for projects that might be worked on at some point later on in life.

We all have but a short time on this earth. As slow as time can be it is also fast, swift, furious and mighty and then it’s over. Jack Kerouac is dead. Andy Warhol is dead. Garry Winogrand is dead. Lee Friedlander, Stephen Shore and William Eggleston are not dead yet, but probably will be at some point. Charles Bukowski once said that endurance was more important than truth. Charles Bukowski's now dead.

When I'm not taking or processing the pictures I'm mostly thinking about the pictures.

The absurdity of my obsessive compulsive view on photography is not lost on me. But it is the absurdity of life that I find most beautiful of all. Where Sisyphus had his stone I have my camera and a bag full of lenses.

Document, explore, lather, rinse, repeat. Photography for me then becomes a kind of hyperactivity, loosely arranged and presented. My work is less about individual images and instead more about the power of a massive amount of excessive and disjointed images where stories, characters and places sometimes stay and other times reappear or disappear entirely for no good reason at all.

Testimonials
(164)

"Mr Hawk is a freak of nature ...the amount of quality / diverse images he captures and posts is nothing short of amazing...A Photo factory indeed.
I discovered photography a few years ago and was frustrated ...I wanted to Photograph so many things but felt it was wrong ...who wants to see a picture of a car headlight for example ??? and THEN!
I came across this mans stream on Google plus..I headed over to his website and suddenly woke up..
Thomas had pictures of headlights and thousands of other interesting diverse subjects....seeing his work single-handedly changed me as a photographer and kind of gave me permission to shoot whatever I wanted..
He was the first Photographer I actually went out of my way to look at and still do to this day..now I am on Flickr its easy to keep up with his stream,.Respect..
I give you a huge thank you Mr Hawk...I am sure I will enjoy your journey to publish a library of 1000000 finished, processed photographs before you pop it...All the best Tomas Hawk."

"He has a great sense for choosing titles, and putting special emotion in it, he is walking in his own mind, seeing photos, and see himself as a viewer, and comment his own photos with an American background, while titles will rose senses in you, because they are not fit to the photo, and it'll move your mind in a way he want's.
Every word has its own start for him; And he takes good photos...a lot!
He is a man, with lots of souls in his camera."

"Well.. I wanted to check Thomas Hawk's profile page and leave a testimonial because I am seriously impressed by his continuous quality output. But after reading his bio information I realized there was nothing I could say he hadn't already said, and better. It was amazing to take a peek at the mind behind the lens. Very inspirational."

"Even as I write this, "The Hawk" is either clicking or processing what was clicked! He is by far a great inspiration for me as well as the quintessential definition of "shutter-count"! His images range from super simple,to cogently colossal!..(And I don't even know where that came from...just like some of his work!) LOL!!!"

"Thomas Hawk or 'TH' as he's affectionately known to some is considered by many as 'The Photo Factory' for his prolific work. But I like to think of him as 'The Machine', a relentless, un-stoppable force of photography - a Terminator armed with a camera instead of 12-gauge! Don't get me wrong - he's anything but 'robotic'. His relentlessness doesn't come from programming and circuitry but rather a true love of, and passion for, photography. Viewing the beautiful images in his stream is sure to be both educational and inspiring!"

"Thomas Hawk - my photography hero. I had the pleasure of meeting him a year ago at the San Francisco Mission Street Flickr Photowalk. I was humbled by his presence and have great memories of chit chatting and knowing him a bit. I started shooting watching some of Thoma's work. Like every photographer - I too am embarking a journey to have my own style of photography, but nonetheless - Thomas' work has always been an inspiration and to follow him and learn from his artwork is a tremendous bonus."

"Thomas Hawk is an outstanding photographer and thinker. I value the insights he shares on his blog as much as the photography he shares on Flickr and G+. On a regular basis I find myself emailing links to his work to friends and acquaintances..."

"An amazing eye for the most mundane to the most interesting of subject, Thomas captures it all. He can very well make any scene, or anything, something quite amazing. Seeing the various perspectives that one may never think of, the compositional masterpieces; it inspires one to take out their camera and shoot something."

"Thomas not only has a talented eye for composition and the technical skills to pay the bills, he's willing to make the time and effort to make Flickr a better place for photographers and photo-lovers, alike."

"TH joined Flickr 1 month B4 me.. that would be unforgivable, except I adore this man. He takes more pics in a day than I do in a year. Mine, however , are better ;-) He rocks AND rolls and is most fun to hang out with. Meet him if U can... if not, take a carnival ride thru his stream. you will feel better for it."

"Thomas Hawk is the most prolific photographer I have ever met. His passion for photography pervades every aspect of life; from social connection, the rights of the artist, the march of technology, and to the emotional and aesthetic qualities of his work. It would be enough merely to embark on his various projects, but that the work itself is so compelling makes Thomas one of the premiere photographers of our time. If this seems hyperbolic, you are yet to have browsed his stream."

"Your work inspires me and I just saw a TED talk on art to change the world- and linked both great ideas together. I am sorry this isn't much of a testimonial- but I wanted to somehow let you know about this idea of using photography to change the world- and thought it would be incredible to include your photos in this project. :)

"This goes without saying ,u have a unique way of capturing both colour and nature/landscape well done continue with the good work .Its amazing how you're integrating the whole world through photowork .All the way from Kenya good job."

"not only is TH a kindred spirit of mine, he is truly an amazing photographer.

when i think about Thomas Hawk, i think about NEON. i think about BILLBOARDS. i think about COLOUR. i think about a particular 14 hour day in san fransisco that started over the top of the bay bridge and ended with a sunset on the top of a really tall hotel that i cannot for the life of me remember the name of.
being with the Hawk is like being a part of a time-lapse photography film. he is THAT quick. i truly think he feels things through another dimension behind his eyes.
but mostly, when i think about Thomas Hawk, i think about the simon and garfunkel song called Bookends.
"Preserve your memories. They're all that's left you."
he is a brilliant keeper of memories and a fucking GOOD man. i am grateful to know him and call him a friend. i miss him all the time.
he also really gets me and i appreciate that. :)"

"I receive a notice from Flickr every day with Thomas' most recent photos highlighted. I look at them. I study them. I don't necessarily like them all, but I do look at them. Thomas is an inspiration to me. I just started the Project365 and watching someone who shoots as many pictures as Thomas does makes it a little easier for me to shoot just one picture a day. I recently listened to his interview with Frederick Van on the "This Week in Photography" podcast. It was one of the best photographer interviews I've ever listened to. He covered the things that we all talk about and think about every day. As Frederick Van said, "he's just an ordinary guy." I'm 70 years old and very active, but when I grow up, I'd like to be like Thomas Hawk."

"I came to follow Thomas and his wife separately, then realized who they are to one another, and that just made it really cool. I love when they photograph in tandem; it's like the best magic. I'm learning a lot from Thomas' photographs and he's a great contact as well."

"I've come to taking the photography of Thomas Hawk for granted. It's always there in my feeds, always of high quality, always interesting. Because it comes so consistently, I rarely comment. But, I look at every picture and study them because he has seen something that most people maybe did not see. I am always admiring and am envious of his talent and productivity."

"mr. hawk has a marvelous way of capturing color by The Bay. in so many ways he evokes a special pining for me, for i have come back to his splendid collection time and time again to get that special taste of a home i once knew. whenever i get the NYC-is-bitter blues, i like to trip his way and spend some time vicariously via his wonderful work in a much kinder, gentler, often brighter place.

Lorenzo!

Author of 25 Lessons I’ve Learned about Photography,
the #1 Photo Essay and Artist Biography on Amazon.com for 2010!

"Hey Thomas? I know I left a testimonial b4. Well Flickr is telling me I have not.

Thomas Hawk is one of my favorite friends on Flickr for more then just his great eye and photos. He has been a champion of users rights and has always spoke his mind w/o letting the big boys who run this site bring him down. IE: He is a champion of all who have been shot in the foot by the big machine. He stands for freedom of all who just want to be seen and heard for Our Photographic rights as photogs. His blog is the bomb! I read it every time he posts new info there and have to admit I agree with most of his assertions.
Bottom line for me is Thomas Hawk is not only one of the best photogs I have had the pleasures to know thru flickr, but is also one of the most active members to make sure We all can speak our minds and be part of the the uverse of Free speech.
Thanks Thomas for being a friend."

"How have I not written a testimonial for Sir Hawk, one of the most prolific photographers on flickr or anywhere really. His work and ideas and goals are inspiring and he's a nice guy to boot. He's also a bit of a troublemaker and who doesn't like that?"

"A true inspiration! Thomas is shoot, shoot, shooting constantly it seems, and nearly everything is worth a look, if not more than that. Great eye, boundless enthusiasm, and real commitment to the enterprise. I always find images among his work that captivate me. Hat's off to the Hawk!"

"Every now and again I lose my photographic way. The journey is blocked by a wall that I bang my head on, and although I see stars I cannot see the light. On these occasions I take my eyes away from the photostreams of my contacts, and instead rest my eyes on Thomas Hawk's profile blurb. And then the fog clears and I can start snapping again. I love the photos, but much more I love the reason for the photos. Great stuff."

"TH is the most consistently great photographer I have seen on flickr. He regularly uploads more shots in a day than I do in a month, but that's now what's great about Thomas Hunk - 99% of those pictures are fantastic! The other 1% are screen shots and the like..."

"Thomas Hawk - hell - I have no idea how he does it. Personally I think he is either some super being from another solar system or has made some kind of pact with guys in red. There is no way that a man can be so talented, take so many pictures and do it in so many diverse forms. Most photographers on here have a style, a narrow view, a recognizable genre but Thomas takes on them all and has mastered them. Just take a look through his crazy stream. Pick a set - of which he probably has 1000 by now and take a peek - at any time of day, in any kind of light, indoor or outdoor, long exposure, motion, quick street snap, close up, line and form, portrait - he has got it down. I hate him ------------- and his new fridge."

"How is it possible that I have been on fickr as long as I have and I have yet to write a testimonial for Thomas Hawk?

I don't know, but whatever the answer might be it will have to have something to do with me not paying attention.

Thomas Hawk has a keen sense of light, color, and form. He has the compositional eye the rest of us aspire to. His ability to see San Francisco is unique, and when I think of SF I think first and foremost of TH's SF.

But he is more than a photographer. He is a digital visionary -- he sees not just what great photos look like, but what 1s and 0s truly mean to the visual medium. He knows what we want to know about digital photography, but he knows it first.

Of all the people on flickr who have inspired my eye and my mind, Thomas Hawk comes in at #1 on the list.

"Thomas has been an inspiration from the first day I read his blog about how to gain exposure for your work on flickr. His insight and advice are priceless, and the contacts and friends I have made on here have given me so much confidence in my abilities. His photography is very unique and creative, and I have used some of his shots on flickr as inspiration for my middle school students.

"I find Thomas Hawk to be a very ambitious and inspirational photographer. He plans to complete a library of 1,000,000 published images in his lifetime. His work is very interesting and brings me to his Flickr Photostream regularly, I am amazed be the volume of photographs that he puts out."

"Thoms Hawk is certainly a unique photographer! To capture so many photos in a day is one thing. But for them to be of such high standard, interesting and of varying content is another,. Thomas Hawk is an amazing photographer, and i hope he achieves his goal of reaching 1,000,000 published images!"

"i came to know abt this legend a few months back somewher in google or in FB. It doesnt matter wher he came from, but i guess im very much lucky to know abt him and his passion in Photography. His vision is great. His photos make an inspiration to me to become like Thomas Hawk. im just a beginner in photography. i just cant resist my soul to stop speakin abt him when it comes to term 'Photography'. ther are no words to speak. but i would like to see more of him in future. i wish him all the very best to reach his dream. Long live the Legend."

"Anyone who is willing to challenge himself by setting a goal to publish 1,000,000 finished, processed photographs before he dies is someone worth paying attention to! Thomas Hawk is not only an ambitious photographer he is an excellent photographer. I love seeing his work and look forward to seeing much more of it in the years to follow. Here's to you Mr. Hawk."

"Thomas is a wonderful photographer, talented and creative beyond words with an amazing eye for detail, colors, expression and light. His love for the art of photography is shown in his work; he is a stunning example and an inspiration to all photographers."

"I just discovered Thomas yesterday and I've been totally inspired. I've made tons of his photos a fave. He's inspired to pick up my camera and see what's out there. I especially love his photos of the Seattle Central Library."

"Thomas Hawk is 100% inspiration. From is $2 Portrait Project to his pure love of photography, he shoots for himself and shares the fruits of his labour with many. I don't know him very well but feel his passion for the world around him in each photograph. I just want to thank him for being so generous with his lens. Cheers, TH."

"Thomas Hawk is a great photographer who likes to guide other photography lovers. I have been a reader of his blog for a long time. And his photostream is one of the first ones I have been lucky enough to discover on Flickr, yet he never fails to come up with interesting and beautiful images."

"I totally support Thomas' project to publish 1000k processed pictures since this will give me the opportunity to frequently check back his stream for some outstanding perspectives, lights and motives. This is really pro work, you can learn a lot here!"

"Love him or hate him, Thomas Hawk's work speaks for itself. Combining the curiosity of a photojournalist, the determnation of a detective and the vision of a true artist his work stands out in a sea digital mediocrity. I admire Thomas' work and look forward to this future efforts.

"Thomas is a great photographer but most readers will already know that.

What I really like about him is his passion to fight for photographers rights. We should see more of his type and more people should stand up and speak up if they get stopped by stupid security guards or police-man who just want to show their power they don't have

He inspired me for many photographs and I know I would act differently today when stopped by a law-enforcement officer who tries to prevent me from taking pictures or to request me to delete any pictures that I have taken. Thanks Thomas for your work."

"I don't write many testimonials, but in Mr.Hawks case I felt It must be said that he is one, if not the best photographer I have ever had the chance to enjoy on Flickr. His passion and talent as a photographer can be seen in every image or picture he shares with those of us who have lucky enough to of found his collection of inspiring pictures, I especially enjoy how his short descriptions or few words that accompany almost each picture tell a story. His images cover a broad base and in almost every case I am inspired to think about what the picture or his short message means to me in my own life as a Firefighter and human being....Thank you Mr.Hawk for sharing and I appreciate all of the work and true love that is shown in your thought provoking Images...Johnny"

"Thomas Hawk is, simply put, the most captivating and consistently thought provoking photographer on Flickr. He has an amazing eye and a knack for capturing the wonder and diversity of the world through initially innocuous seeming images."

"Life should be about passion and dedication to what You love. Thomas Hawk is a true example of that philosophy..He has an eye for the beauty in everything and the skill and dedication that make him a true artist behind the camera. He's not afraid to take risks,to question,to learn,to evolve, to challenge... .The end result is always magic.(with catchy titles to boot!)..pure and simple ! What an inspiration....!"

"Thomas Hawk is the first ever photographer that I call my favourite. I don't know him personally, and vice versa, but I have always liked his pictures. I can only hope that one day I will be as creative as him! Thank you for sharing with me your brilliancy, Mr Hawk! :) [Btw, this is the first testimonial I have ever written on Flickr, too. It isn't the best testimonial you have, for sure, but I hope you count yourself honoured!]"

"I really admire Thomas Hawk's dedication to photography. His work is utterly inspiring, bringing photography to a different, new level. Along with the quality, his collections contain an amazing amount of photography around the Bay Area and beyond."

"He calls himself a photography factory, which is ironic, because you normally associate a factory as a dirty and monotonous place. Thomas never produces a dull photo, in fact, he is the Willy Wonka of photography. He manages to produce gorgeous photos on a daily basis. Thomas constantly raises the bar. He is not afraid to change styles and techniques, and sets an example of what photographers should aspire to be."

"Thomas has the ability to not only produce an amazing quantity of photographs, but also produce with consistently high quality. His subject matter is the world around him. His passion for photography and his willingness to share his photography and knowledge freely is an inspiration!"

"I will testify that Thomas' work *is* like a photo factory, which would make a great coffee table book. He is like the human version of Google street view — but rather "Hawk eye view" (for lack of a better pun). I love how I can open up Thomas' photo stream on any day of the week and find a dozen more photos than the last time, and they'll all be fantastic."

"There is something to be said for art that is found in everything. The age old argument of whether or not art is the depiction of what we see, or the interpretation of what we want reality to be, is erased in Thomas' work. T. evolves beyond these arguments capturing the mundane, the ignoble, the glamorous, the inanimate, the moving, in short frames. Look here and you won't see any one style such as in the I-don't-know-how-to-take-photographs-so-I-just-use-bokeh-all-the-time streams. His lens fits the scene matching the image in his mind's eye... which is where the photography begins; bringing us back to the age old argument of art, however, with absolute harmony."

"Tommy, Tommy, Tommy ! A man with a camera. An eccentric nut. A man trying to taste all the flavors of live, and share them at the same time. A man who understands that photos need to have feeling, not just color, comp, and exposure. A man after my own heart !

"Thomas Hawk is what got me interested into photography. His photography is simply amazing. By far my favorite photographer. I have setup a blog and will soon be purchasing a camera backpack to carry all my gear with me to capture the world around me. He inspired me to look at the world in a different way. I hope to be able to create a portfolio as good as his someday. I will keep taking pictures, blogging about them, and promoting my work. Its all thanks to Thomas Hawk."

"In an ocean of macro flower shots, inspiring sunsets and cute pet portraits, is a creative, unique and inspiring individual. His name is Thomas Hawk, and I invite you to check out his Flickr photostream... He brings a mountain of creativity to Flickr!"

"The more I see Thomas' streamline, the more I feel motivated towards improving my photographic skills; his work's simply inspiring. It's easy to see how serious he is about photography and also how much he enjoys sharing his work. Hats off to Thomas Hawk!"

"Thomas' pictures make my eyes happy, his words are pure poetry and he is a complete inspiration. He has a signature style and an eye on the environment around him that is a delight, as a global communicator his work connects his audiences to a world of shape and form that represents so much and is at the same time uniquely his own. He is truly a great photographer."

"Thomas Hawk's photographs grab your attention - they almost *demand* your attention. He has the gift to find beauty in the mundane and uniqueness in the common. I've learned more about composition from viewing Mr. Hawk's photographs than I ever learned from books or instructors. His photographs are an inspiration."

"The breadth and quality of Thomas Hawk's work are awe-inspiring. There is never a dull moment in his photostream, and his collection of images are a testament to the power of photography as both a form of documentation and an artistic medium. I find his work inspiring and often life-affirming, and it reminds me why I fell in love with photography."

"I came to know of Thomas Hawk from the Photo Walking videos at PodTech. Though the new videos are not now available at PodTech, I have been keenly following Thomas’ photo stream at Flickr and his blog. I am thoroughly impressed by his photography, especially abstracts & macros. In fact, I started thinking about abstracts & macros only after seeing his photos! Even a screw, nut & bolt or a rusted piece of metal looks so beautiful after he shoots it. But the most important lesson I have learned from him is on visualizing things around you differently. The perspective in which he shoots is something one would never think of. Thank you Thomas, for your wonderful photos and inspiration. Keep firing in all cylinders and all the best! :)"

"Right, i don't know Thomas Hawk personally but i do know that his photos and his photography is the best! There are loads of photographers on flickr but every time i log on and see his, i know there going to be good and something worth looking at. I think i have flicked through all his photos now, and only being 16 and thinking of becoming a photographer, they have inspired me! I Love Thomas's photos and when i log on, i look to see if i can get a new desktop wallpaper. lol. Allan :)"

"THere are many many photographers on Flickr - some are very good but Thomas Hawk is a legend. His pics are the best you can find by far. They are all of excellent standard and many are true gems. I give him the two thumbs up. I dare you to find another photographer as consistently cool as Thomas!!"

"A true artist and "agent provocateur", Thomas embodies the soul of a great comunicator witch is so necessary and rare in this age of information.
I am always inspired and spellbound by his work! !~!~!"

"Thomas Hawk = iconic photography! In the real world things don't happen on a microscopic nature! . . .Thomas brings that to us with vivid colors, sharp contrast, and amazing clarity! His work and his eye reminds me why I take photos too."

"I sometimes spend hours flicking through Thomas' pictures - they are simply outstanding. He is one of my inspirations to improve my photography. If you haven't seen this man's photos, prepare to be stunned."

"Thomas Hawk may well be my favorite photographer on flickr. I have yet to fall upon someone whos work speaks to me quite like his does. Between the way he can capture a moment; the colors that are so vivid; the angles. I have a deep addmiration of Mr. Hawk's work."

"This guy is amazing. There is something for everyone in his stream. I adore his pictures of San Francisco--it's like walking down the street, smelling the air, and actually being there. In person, he's fun and a veritable fountain of knowledge. I always look forward to his new work, and am never let down by the vast quantity of fun to be seen."

"I've been following Thomas's photos since the day I joined Flickr, over 15,000 of my own photographs ago. Frankly, I'm shocked to notice that I'd never written a testimonial, so this is long overdue.

Quite simply, there is no better photographer on Flickr than Thomas. Much of Thomas's early Flickr work took advantage of the spectacular scenery that the San Francisco Bay offers, but his images went far, far beyond the norm, capturing the sights at their most stunning and taking in the soul of the area as well. Thomas has since ventured into many new areas, sometimes quirky, sometimes highly inventive, producing highly creative images of subjects in every genre. His images are always fascinating, sometimes entirely unique and unfailingly artistic.

"Thomas Hawk's images are like a William Carlos Williams poem to me -- composed of clean simple lines and common subjects that evoke much larger ideas and emotions through a heightened perception of reality."

I cannot recalling when I visit his site here & when he fave my images.

But I do know that he have me in common of standing up against by telling those egangster's & ehooligan's of this world! Who make rules by their own whim or with the concerted efforts of the egangsterism acrivities.

In fact in the land of symbol of freedom, demoncracy, with the main focus in making money & be rich quick, scamming, .....submit to the giant's & bully the commoners..etc. Thomas kind of righteous attitude & evergreen character is very very rare indeed!!

I regard him as an advocator of Visual Communication & Imaging freedom pioneer.

On his imaging exhibits, I can see that he already exhibited full talent of a superb imaging Artist. I salute him for his inspirations to the net citizen that including me.

You are a great leader of this Visual Communication & Digital Imaging Era.

"Thomas Hawk (if that's his real name...) has so many testimonials, that I'm afraid no one will ever read mine. But I want to write it anyway...

I admire obsessive people. And Thomas' obsessive drive to photograph events and small neighborhoods has really been an inspiration to me. When my own photographic goals began evolving from snapshots to more of a fine art (cough!... gag!) style, I began to think of neighborhood shooting as too pedestrian. But Thomas has really made me see the value in shooting the local flavor of small neighborhoods from a fine art or photojournalist point of view.

Now, I want to re-discover all of the small neighborhoods that I've been passing through, but not photographing, for the past few decades.

"OCD can be cured, but who gave the drug companies the right to say that it needed to be cured in the first place???""

"For me, Thomas Hawk is one of the most interesting Flickr photographers. I visit every day. When I see his pictures I feel that each photo have a story behind. And one of the things that I like more is the sweet light and colors of his pictures."

"Every morning, after I pour my first cup of coffee, I sit down at my computer to see what type of genius Mr. Hawk was able to produce while I was sleeping. He is the inspiration for what I hope to become as a photographer: making the ordinary sublime. While some seem to be the beneficiaries of great locations or masters of post-editing, Mr. Hawk is the beneficiary of the most important aspect of photography: a remarkable eye."

"Thomas Hawk ia ultimate peak of creative manipulation. Very imaginative and often breathtaking photographer who is often full of unexpected balance of colours, composition and subject. You are truly a master of your domain."

"I'm continually amazed by the composition of Thomas's photos. I love how he takes a simple everyday scene and frames it in a way that's new and interesting. The title of his photos draw you into them too. Thoughts and emotions you only think about for a split second are captured in his photos beckoning you to relive them. Thomas Hawk is a great photographer."

"Thomas has a heart and vision that most people only dream of. His true humanity and compassion burst through his images and take your breath away. He is also one of the kindest souls here on Flickr and has the ability to be patient and helpfully critical all at once.

"I visited Chicago for the first time this past weekend, and upon my return, I checked to see if Mr. Hawk had posted pictures of the Windy City, so I could see it all over again, but alas, I was thwarted."

"Every time I look at my contacts Thomas's work stands out to me - It makes me smile and think and get out there and take more photographs.

He offers a glimpse of another world to those of us in other countries and he does it with wonderful, glorious images of subjects far and wide. Fantastic work and a pleasure to look at. What more could you ask for ?"

"Thomas has a magical photographic eye. His images have made me examine the way I look at the world and at my pictures. Phenomenal is one of the words that come to mind, and yet doesn't do his work justice.

He has added so much to the Flickr community and is a contact I'm lucky to have made."

"Ladies and Gentlemen - here is my very special testimonial for Thomas, thinking highly of him as I do, edited for the purpose of not playing favorites:

Thomas is one of the finest photographers on Flickr. His work has that rare ability to transcend photography, challenge the entire genre and emerge through fire as art -- art to make you laugh, art to make you cry, but most importantly art to make you think. His particular strength is in photographing plush bridges. Another thing about Thomas, is that his art is unique, it's not your typical sunset or flower but rather provacative photography to challenge our new digital generation. I most heartilly endorse the work of Thomas. He also is a lot of fun to drive around San Francisco with sitting on his lap in a convertible.""

"At the moment of writing this, his avatar was an image of himself with a huge camera lens over one eye. The appropriateness of this shot is notable because Thomas has a permanent photographer's eye, an embedded camera frame that's always scanning the immediate surroundings and isolating the beauty within the banal.

An all-round good guy who is as quietly at ease with kids as he is with a 90-
year-old stranger, and who has taken some of the best bridge, architecture and abstract photos out there.

"Mr. Halk has an energy and vigor for photography that is rare. His work will stand the test of time along side greats like Weston, Arbus and Newton. His has an eye for detail that is God given. Also his ablity to express human emotion through the art of reflected light is sensitive yet objective. With a true diplomatic heart he manages the DMU so that it is open forum for ideas great and small.
He does however think I am a person named Frank. I will give him some time to correct this before I approve his testimonial."

"Since Thomas picked up that camera, his progress in therapy has been amazing. Nothing short of a miracle really. It's a great outlet for his obsessive compulsive disorder, and now he can communicate in pictures as well as grunts. A fantastic photostream :)"

"~I truly admired the eye that Thomas has, for color, for composition, for the small details that most would just pass by...his images have grown on me and have caused to to start noticing the small details...his cityscape images are some of the best and most creative I have seen...all the best!~"

"You have a great eye for creative and visually stimulating images. I really enjoyed seeing Disneyland, (a place I work daily) from another viewpoint. Really brings the magic back with surreal nature of the images. Thanks for sharing your work!"